A large solar flare on Tuesday delayed a cargo delivery set to take off for the International Space Station, but it will create from colourful night-sky viewing for those of us on Earth.

The X-class flare blasted out yesterday afternoon, elevating radiation levels. Orbital Science Corp., a commercial space technologies company, had planned to send a cargo vessel to the ISS on the Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island, Virginia launchpad. The mission has been scrubbed and tentatively rescheduled for Thursday.

“Overnight, Orbital’s engineers conducted an analysis of the radiation levels, but the Antares team decided to postpone the launch to further examine the potential effects of the space radiation on the rocket’s avionics,” said a statement from NASA.

Solar flares send out particles into space that take a few days to reach Earth. They can interfere with radio communications but they can also intensify the aurora borealis, making it visible further south than usual.

According to the University of Alaska’s aurora forecast, Tuesday’s solar event will create highly active, level five northern lights on Thursday and Friday. If skies are clear, Whitehorse, Edmonton, Winnipeg and the Gaspé Peninsula may be able to glance the lights directly overhead.

However, those as far south as Toronto and Vancouver may be able to glimpse the lights on the horizon if they can get away from the bright city lights. Check out the Dark Sky Finder for optimal viewing locations.

If you’re lucky enough to see the northern lights undulating in the sky above, make sure to tweet your photos to us @thecanadacom.

Check out photos and videos of the solar flare below, courtesy of NASA.